This disclosure relates to the design and fabrication of semiconductor devices, and more specifically, to a system and method of heat dissipation for semiconductor devices.
Heat generation from electronic devices is well known. For example, a typical microprocessor typically consumes approximately 40 watts of electricity, a majority of which will eventually be transformed into heat. However, if the heat is not well dissipated, the performance of electronic devices may be degraded—poor heat dissipation may cause damages to electronic devices, and reduce the reliability and life expectancy of the devices.
Generally, heat produced in a semiconductor device is dissipated by device conduction. Typically, heat simply emits through materials utilized to form the basic wiring structure of the semiconductor device. Frequently, no special structures are provided to help dissipate heat within the semiconductor device.
Prompted by the advancement of integrated circuit materials and design, new generations of semiconductor devices possess smaller and more complex circuits, thereby enhancing the need for heat dissipation. In addition, low-k materials have been introduced to replace the conventional SiO2 material to address RC delay issues. However, most of the low-k materials possess poor thermal conductivity.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide an improved system and method for dissipating heat in semiconductor devices.